Carbiage



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES PATTERSON, OFFRANKLINVILLE, NEW YORK.

CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 7,290, dated. April 16, 1850.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES PATTERSON, of Franklinville, in the county ofCattaraugus and State of New York, have invented new and useful.Improvements in the Running- Gear of IVheel-Carriages, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, andin which Figure 1 represents a plan of my improved running gear, Fig. 2is a frontelevation of the same, Fig. 3 is an elevation of thehind-axle-tree, and Fig. 4 is a section through the center of thefore-axle-tree.

My invention consists, first in connecting the perch with thefore-axle-tree by means of a king-bolt which is in one piece with theperch and fixed ring of the fifth wheel instead of by the looseking-bolt usually employed for the purpose; second, in. the method ofconnecting the hind-axle tree with the perch, the part-s being soarranged that while they are easily disconnectible they are not liableto work loose by the constant jar incident to the running of the Wagon;third, in the method of connecting the shafts or tongue with thefore-axle-tree, whereby the clips usually employed are dispensed wit-hand the thill-hangings or goosenecks of the shafts or the tongue areconnected directly with the axle-tree which is made the axis on whichthey turn up and down.

In the drawing A is the fore and B the hind-axle-tree; these areretained at a proper distance from each other by the perch C which isrigidly connected with the hind-axle-tree but is connected with thefore-axle-tree by the king-bolt D, which allows the latter to turn. Theking-bolt instead of being a mere loose bolt inserted in holes made inthe middle of the axle-tree and in the front extremity of the perch iswelded to the latter and is passed through a deep socket in the stay aof the fore-axle which in this example is of that description known as aframed axle. This weldedkingbolt obviates thedifliculties and dangerincidental to the use of a loose king-bolt" the head of which is notonly continually wearing out, but is frequently broken thus allowing thebolt to drop out, and disconnect the fore-axle to which the horses arehitched from the body of the wagon on which the driver is seated.

The perch as usually constructed is directly connected with thehind-axle-tree by a bolt or by forming a T head upon its hinderextremity and securing that to the axle-tree by several bolts; itsconnection with the axle-tree is also further strengthened by the braceswhich are usually secured to the perch by bolts, and to the axle bybolts and clips which embrace the latter. This method requires aconsiderable number of screw bolts, the nuts of which are continuallyworking loose by the constant jar of the wagon upon the road. The secondportion of my improvement consists in connecting the perch and thebraces with the hind-axle-tree in such manner that the great number ofscrew bolts usually employed is dispensed with, the only one requiredbeing that which secures the front extremities of the braces to theperch. In order to effect this desideratum I screw the hinder ex tremityof the perch into a pipe-clip 0 which is slipped upon the stay of thehind-axlet-ree; the hinder extremities of' the braces are also screwedinto pipe-clips (Z, d, which are slipped upon the extremities of thehindaxle-tree just inside of the journal and which are held in place onthe outside by collars and on the inside by shoulders formed on the axlewhich keep the pipe clips in place. By the use of these pipe-clips, allscrewbolts and nuts at the hind-axle-tr-ee are dispensed with, and butone is required in the whole system to connect the front extremities ofthe braces with the perch. As but this one bolt is necessary it shouldbe made with care and its nut should be prevented from loosening by aleather cotter, spring key, or by some other analogous device. It willbe perceived that in this method of construction the perch-bolt acts asthe lock of the whole system and if it alone is properly attended to nodanger can accrue irom the other portions which can not work loose,while at the same time this method of connecting the braces and perchwith the axle by the pipe-clips is much cheaper than the ordinary methodof screw-bolts and nuts.

' The third portion of my improvement re; lates to the method ofconnecting the shafts:

or the tongue with the fore-axle-tree. In

tree; my invention consists in connecting the goosenecks directly withthe fore-axle-tree by sleeves which turn upon the axle-tree, thus makingthe latter the axis of motion and doing away with the constant dangerwhich arises from the falling off of the nuts of the clip bolts as Wellas of those which form the axes on which the shafts turn. This method ofconnection also possesses other advantages than those which wouldnaturally be expected to accrue from the substitution of a permanentconnection in place of the bolts, thus it is obvious that when theshafts are attached to clips the logs of which project infront of theaxle tree, the draft of the horse acting upon these lugs as levers tendsto twist the axle-tree, and in certain positions of the horse andcarriage the torsion thus produced is very considerable and is thefrequent cause of breakage;-

as for instance when the fore wheels drop into a deep hole or crossditch while the horse is upon the plane of the road, the

line of draft of the shafts is nearly at right angles to the lugs;again, when, as is frequently the case, the shank of the lugs is passedthrough a wooden axle-tree the torsion produced tends to split the axle,and if the lugs be projected from a clip, the torsion tends to work itloose upon the shaft and is the frequent cause of breakages of the lugand'the shafts.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. Making the king-bolt the fixed ring of the fifth wheel and perchin one piece whereby the liability to accident is diminished P. H.WATsoN, E. S. RENWIOK.

